Mary I. Kirkbride

Mary I. Kirkbride, 67, of Washington, IL died at 1:25 am Friday, July 7, 2017 at the OSF Richard L. Owens Hospice Home in Peoria, surrounded by her family. Born on September 14, 1949 in Peoria, IL to Robert and Evelyn Carter Brown, she married Richard D. Kirkbride on July 19, 1986 in Peoria, IL. He survives. Also surviving are one son, Tim (Amy) Collie of Temecula, CA, 1 daughter, Missy (Craig) Reid of Germantown Hills, IL, 2 stepdaughters, Kim (Mark) Blakey of Ft. Myers, FL and Chris Kirkbride of Peoria, IL, 1 stepson, Kevin Kirkbride of Chicago, IL, 3 brothers, Robert Brown, Gary Brown, and John Brown, 8 grandchildren, 1 great-grandchild, and her beloved Yorkie, Emily Ann. She was preceded in death by her parents, 1 sister, Roberta Boyer Helfter and 1 brother, Mike Brown. Our beautiful Mary took her last breath early Friday morning. After a year long battle, fighting with dignity & class, she peacefully left to be with God. In the final days, she said goodbyes to all she loved & expressed her desire to see her mom. She made amends with those she needed to & had us laughing until the very end. She was a deeply private person, only wanting those closest to her to know her battle. We respected her wishes as best we could. She was a daughter, a mother, a grandmother & wife. A gardener, a caretaker, a bargain hunter & garage sale connoisseur. A giver, a lover, a fighter (to the end) & a smart ass (of course). We'll forever be lost without her, but carry her in our hearts always. Although cancer is an unforgiving beast, making us beyond angry, we're so grateful for the time it gave us. Moments with her were sweeter, more cherished & never taken for granted. We spent many days at the cancer center, mostly laughing, sometimes crying. Sitting across from her was precious. Holidays meant a little more & saying "I love you" never grew old. For that, we are grateful. Until we meet again, we love you. A memorial service for Mary will be at 6 pm Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at Deiters Funeral Home and Crematory in Washington. Visitation will be from 4-6 Tuesday at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to OSF Richard L. Owens Hospice Home in Peoria or St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Mary I. Kirkbride

September 14, 1949 - July 7, 2017